Infill fire protection program

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Program information
Eligibility criteria
Apply for the program
Program evaluation

Program information

Background

Historically, infill developers have provided all of the water infrastructure required to serve a new development and/or upgrade an existing area. However, upgrades that improve fire protection in core, mature, and established areas benefit the entire neighbourhood. An agreement has been reached on a methodology to share costs between infill developers and ratepayers.

Workshops were held in 2018 between the City of Edmonton and the Infill Development in Edmonton Association (IDEA) to discuss options for the cost share approach. Based on feedback from the workshops, the Infill Working Committee formed by the City, EPCOR, and IDEA developed an approach that would:

Be fair, easy to understand, transparent, and predictable
Provide incentives for targeted infill development in older neighbourhoods
Be relatively easy to administer
Recognize that limited public funding is available

This cost share approach will allow some projects to proceed that otherwise may have been deemed unviable by the infill developer. Following the success of a pilot project in 2020 and 2021, EPCOR allocated $20.2 million to the cost share approach for 2022-2026.

Eligibility criteria

To determine which projects will receive funding, developers must submit an application to EPCOR. The submissions will be checked against the eligibility criteria listed below. Eligible projects will receive funding on a first come, first-served basis until funding for the acceptance period is fully allocated. Infill developers would then be required to pay all remaining fire protection costs and upgrades.

Only applicants/developers that have received a completed Infill Fire Protection Assessment (IFPA), which conditions the construction of upgrades to the public water distribution system (such as new water mains or hydrants), are eligible to apply for funding. Not all infill developments require IFPAs. If an IFPA is required, this will be flagged during Development Permit review and will be coordinated by the City of Edmonton Planner or Development Officer.

Developments that have progressed beyond the Building Permit Review stage will not be considered, except for projects which have permits issued for demolition and site grading.

With the proposed cost share approach, developers continue to pay for upgrades and installations that would primarily benefit a new development, including:

Extensions – the provisioning of a net-new water main as well as additional hydrants to bring water servicing and fire protection to an area that did not previously have water service
Relocations – moving existing water infrastructure to meet a developer's site-specific needs
Service installations – new service lines to new infill properties

For developments selected for the cost share project, upgrades that benefit all users will be funded by water ratepayers, including:

Expansions – replacing an existing water main with a larger one, or adding hydrants to improve fire protection in an area
Realignments – moving of water mains and hydrants from an alley to a road

In summary, upgrades must be either an expansion or a realignment to be eligible for the program.

The projects selected for consideration must comply with the current City Plan. The program will only consider funding for residential and mixed-use developments with three or more units, or commercial-only developments with a site area of 4000m²or smaller.

This is defined as the distance of the development to current and future areas of development as defined by City Plan. These include the primary and secondary nodes and corridors and the city-wide mass transit corridors outlined within City Plan. Please see Map 1 from the City Plan Maps document, available from the City of Edmonton. Developments must be within 800m of a primary or secondary node or corridor or a city-wide mass transit corridor to be eligible for the program. Developments not in proximity to a defined node or corridor will not be considered.

Apply for the program

How to apply

Complete the project submission form below to apply or provide updates on your project.

Email the completed form to:
waterinfillfireprotection@epcor.com

Application process

The information provided on the form will be reviewed by EPCOR and checked against each of the criteria listed above. Applicants will be informed if their project has been selected on a first come, first served basis. If the status of the project changes, the applicant will need to provide updated information to EPCOR to update the project's evaluation.

Applications are currently open for the 2026 construction season.

Program evaluation

The eligibility criteria and funding availability of the Infill Fire Protection Program will be reviewed by EPCOR, in consultation with their industry partners, on an as needed basis. Data will be collected for the duration of the program and incorporated into subsequent program years.

Additional questions

Eligible applicants who require additional information can email questions to:
waterinfillfireprotection@epcor.com

Infill fire protection program

Program information

Eligibility criteria

1. Readiness/IFPA availability

2. Type of upgrade

3. Use

4. Location and alignment with City Plan

Apply for the program

Program evaluation